The UN children’s agency, Unicef, reports that armed men are perpetrating rape and sexual assault against children as young as one amid the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
Mass sexual violence has been extensively recorded as a tool of warfare in the ongoing conflict that has persisted for nearly two years in the country.
Unicef’s report stands as the inaugural comprehensive examination of the effects of rape on young children in Sudan.
One-third of the victims identified in the report were boys, who often encounter distinct obstacles when it comes to reporting these crimes and obtaining necessary support.
According to Unicef, while 221 cases of rape against children have been officially documented since the beginning of 2024, the actual figure is expected to be significantly greater.
In Sudan, a deeply conservative society, significant stigma surrounds the topic of rape, creating barriers for survivors and their families to voice their experiences. Additionally, the threat of retaliation from armed groups further silences these individuals.
The Unicef report reveals a shocking insight into the abuse of children amid the ongoing civil war in the country.
The report reveals a particularly distressing detail: 16 of the victims were under the age of five, with four of them being infants.
While Unicef refrains from assigning blame, previous investigations by other UN bodies have pointed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as the primary perpetrators of sexual violence. Reports indicate that RSF fighters have established a troubling pattern of employing sexual violence as a means to instill fear among civilians and stifle dissent against their movements.
The RSF, currently engaged in conflict with its former allies, the Sudanese Armed Forces, has refuted allegations of any misconduct.
“The sheer scale of sexual violence documented in Sudan is staggering,” stated Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the UN’s fact-finding mission, during the release of its previous report in October.
International human rights organizations have presented evidence indicating that individuals in the RSF’s stronghold of Darfur were frequently targeted due to their identity as black Africans rather than Arabs. This targeting appears part of a broader strategy aimed at displacing them from Sudan.
The humanitarian response for Sudan, as coordinated by the United Nations, is currently facing significant underfunding challenges. Recent reductions in US aid are anticipated to diminish further programs to assist the victims.
Unicef’s report reveals harrowing details that highlight the dire situation at hand.
At approximately nine o’clock in the evening, an individual enters the premises, brandishing a whip, and proceeds to choose one of the young women before escorting her to a separate room. The sound of a little girl crying and screaming echoed through the air. “They were raping her,” recalls Omnia (not her real name), an adult female survivor who endured captivity alongside other women and girls at the hands of armed men.
“Each instance of violence left the girl returning, her body marked by blood.” She remains a young child. The girls are released only at dawn, often returning in a state of near unconsciousness. All of them express their emotions through tears and fragmented speech. Throughout the 19 days I was there, I arrived at a moment when I contemplated ending my life.
Amid a fractured nation embroiled in conflict, Sudan stands out as one of the most challenging locations globally for accessing essential services and frontline workers.
The ongoing conflict has led to a significant displacement of individuals, particularly affecting women and children who face heightened risks of violence. According to the United Nations, an alarming three out of four school-age girls are currently not attending school.
The tragic consequences of these crimes are compounded by the limited options available for victims seeking medical assistance, as numerous healthcare facilities have been destroyed, looted, or taken over by conflicting factions.
The recent cuts to US aid raise concerns about the potential jeopardization of the already limited services designed to protect children.
Unicef is actively establishing safe havens for children, leveraging a network of local activists who have initiated Emergency Response Rooms to address the pressing crises within their communities.
According to a Sudanese coordinating committee that monitors them, the activists have significantly depended on US aid, leading to the closure of most organizations.
The United Nations entity focused on safeguarding women’s rights emphasizes the crucial role of women-led local organizations in providing essential support to survivors of sexual violence. However, they are allocated less than 2% of the overall funding from the UN’s Sudan Humanitarian Fund.
According to information obtained by the BBC, at least one local organization, She Leads, has been compelled to shut down following the cessation of US funding.
Sulaiman Elkhalifa, a Sudanese human rights defender and head of a government unit focused on combating violence against women, stated that while the initiative was not a significant financial burden, costing in the tens of thousands of dollars, it allowed case workers to assist approximately 35 survivors each month. Elkhalifa played a key role in organizing this private initiative.
Victims of sexual assault by armed individuals “do not have the luxury of experiencing depression,” she stated in an interview with the BBC.
The pressures of conflict, such as the struggle for sustenance and the necessity to escape, provide little opportunity to address the psychological scars, she noted.
